Hu Xiaotian bent down and examined the water carefully. It teemed with tiny insects, each the size of a millet grain, easy to overlook if he was careless. He reflected that the Five Immortals Cult had traps everywhere, with danger at every step; caution was best in all things. Not daring to touch the little insects, he looked up. Although the stone walls were wet and slippery, at least there were no poisonous insects crawling over them. He used the Golden Spider Eight Steps, clinging to the wall like a spider and climbing forward. Water kept dripping from the slick stone, its tinkling endless in his ears. Another dozen yards or so ahead, the water changed color, phosphorescence drifting across it in a gorgeous rainbow of hues. Those were all plankton that thrived in darkness.
Using both hands and feet, Hu Xiaotian quickly passed over this stretch of water. When he landed again, the ground was soft underfoot, entirely different from the hard rock before. It was all mire, the sort of terrain where poisonous insects bred easily. While he hesitated over whether to continue, a cry of agony came from deeper inside. It was heart-rending, but it seemed to belong to a man.
Hu Xiaotian drew a breath and soared forward. Touching lightly against the muddy ground midway, he launched himself into the air again, crossing nearly two hundred feet of mire in an instant. The cavern ahead widened, and light filtered down from overhead. Looking up, he saw vast expanses of crystal dome above him. Beyond the dome lay the lake, and moonlight shone through its waters into the cavern, the rippling light magnificent to behold. But another scream rang in his ears, leaving him no leisure to admire the beautiful, shifting light. The screams came from below